Circular loom



June 2, 1936.

H. DREYFUS ET AL Filed July 15, 1934 CIRCULAR LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet l lo f /GJ 11 f5 ZZ P 51 15 55 f 45 45 4g 56 14K, @l 42 21 v Lf 1 g: ao 79 78 i 8219 85 65 l 76 i i i u HENRY DREYFUS June 2, 1936. H. DREYFUS ET AL 2,042,703

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed July 13, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #WEA/70H5 HENRY DREYFUS YVVILLIAM PDL MIM A TTORNEYS Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE don, near Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Application July 13, 1934, Serial No. '134,908 In Great Britain July 21, 1933 1c claims. (c1. 13s-zw ,This invention relates to circular looms, -and. is v looms.

The principal object of the invention is to en- 5 able circular looms to operate with a continuofsweft supply, this being eiected according to the invention by replenishing the or each shuttle with weft automatically on weft exhaustion.

I This arrangement is advantageous in that a loom l can run for considerable periods without lattention, it merely being necessary that an adequate supply of weft is maintained in the loom for replenishment of the shuttles. In a loom employing a plurality of shuttles any particular shuttle l can be replenished without interfering in any way with the weaving operations of the remaining'shuttles, thereplenishment of an exhausted shittlefbeing effected inthe course of the normal operationof the loom.

Anyconvenient length of weft may be supplied to a shuttle at appropriate intervals, a fresh length 4being furnished immediately on exhaustion of the spool or other weft 'package carried A by'l the shuttle. Convenientlythe replenishment takesplace at a gap provided in the warp threads arranged round the loom, the loom weaving edged fabric the width of which is less than the weaving"l circumference of the loom by the number of- .v warps omitted to provide access to the shuttle.

y In the particular form of weft replenishing concerned with means for supplying weft in such inechanism according tothe invention, means are provided Ato rewind the spool in the shuttle with a length of weft upon exhaustion ofthe weft on thel spool. With such arrangement it sumces to supply the spool with a length of weft suillcient to .extend across the width of the fabric traversed Vbythe shuttle between consecutive weft replenishments. Thus, with one gap only, as is sumcient in most practical sizes of circular looms, thejlength of weft supplied to the shuttle is siilcieht toextend round the loom until the shuttle again reaches the gap. That is to say, ,A in "a circular loom in which the fabric is woven at for near the periphery of the loom, the length 45 of weft to be supplied to the shuttle must be at leastequalin lengthl to the distance round the loom periphery less the distance across the gap between theedges of the fabric, a small excess,

' .'however, preferably being provided, which excess 56 maybe trimmed away afterwards.

Advantageously the shuttle takes upthe weft length while crossing the gap without stoppage -of its progress around the loom, the spool winding the weftV rapidly during the progress of the 65 vshuttle across the gap.

Since each length of weft is contained within the shuttle during weaving, the shuttle may be employed in a loom using progressive shedding, and containing as many shuttles round its periphery as the number of sheds into which it is 5 possible to divide the warps round that periphery. At the same time, weft replenishment taking place automatically, it is not necessary, in order to obtain high eiciency, to use spools of large dimensions. On the other hand, the spools may l0 be of relatively small size with the consequent advantage that the shuttle dimensions may be reduced also, with the result that a large number of shuttles can be accommodated round the loom. Therefore a large number of picks may be laid l5 at each revolution, resulting in a high output of the loom, which output need be only very slightly reduced by the necessity for a short non-weaving period at the replenishing gap or gaps.

Apart from the advantages of substantial con- 20 tinuity of operation and high efficiency resulting from the invention, the lighter and smaller shuttles whichA may be used are of service in enabling a high rate of weaving to be attained and also rapidly operating weftand warp-stop mecha- 25 nism to be employed. Thus, when such mechanisms operate to clutch the shuttles and warps together to bring weaving to an end, the lightness of theshuttles enables this to be done in a very short time, thus minimizing therisk of the 30 warp being stretched or broken by the shuttles engaging the jam in the warps resulting from an end breaking and preventing change of shed.

One form of apparatus according to the invention will now-be described in greater detail with y reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Fig. 1 is a part-sectional 'elevation showing the invention-applied to a loom of the type described in U. S. application S. No. 655,560 illed 7th February, 1933, and having a plurality of shuttles rotating aboutiits axis;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of consecutive shuttles near the position in the loom at which weft replenishment is eected; r

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate dlagrammatically the 45 weft replenishing operation, while Figs. 6 and '7 are part-sectional elevation, and plan views, respectively,.of a detail of Fig. 2.

' Referring to Fig. 1 a sheet of warp threads III unwinding from overhead warp beams or like I packages, (not shown), proceeds downwardly in cylindrical form over lease rods II to the fabric I2, which is held firmly against a supporting ring I3 borne by the' central shaft I4 of the loom. The fabric I2 is wound by take-up mechanism '55 (not shown) situated at the bottom of the loom. Between the lease rods II and the fabric I2 the warp threads pass through the eyes I5 of,l

10 2l (one shown) which depend from arms 22 outstanding from pillars 23 of the loom frame,.which pillars are spaced at intervals around the loom. Eachymember I5 is formed with an outstanding arm 24, the extremity of which rides against one 15 of two cams 25, 25 formed along the inner edge of a rotatable 'ring 21 which extends continuously round the loom.

The ring 21 is supported by stationary brackets 55 borne by the pillars 23, and is driven from a 26 vertical shaftA II by a pinion I2 which engages an annular rack 3l secured to, and depending from, the ring 21.` On rotation of the ring 21, the cams 25, 25 slide against the extremities of Vthe arms 24 of the shedding members I5, and

g5 cause the shedding members to oscillate aboutvr the rod 25, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l,

and so to shed the warp threads. The shape and rate of rotation of the cams are such as to shed the warp threads progressively round' the loom,

30 each shed commencing at a point immediately in advance of each shuttle I9, and finishing immediately behind each shuttle.

'Ihe extremities of the arms 24 are disposed on the cams 25, 25 in accordance with the pattern 35 to be woven. Thus, in the case of a plain weave,

alternate arms will be placed on opposite cams,

while in the case of a 2 and 2 weave e'. g. alternate pairs of arms will be placed on opposite cams, in a manner which will readily be understood by those skilled in the art. If desired, more than one warp thread may be threaded through each eye I5. V

Weit thread 55 is supplied to the shuttles I9 from a large package 55 situated near a gap A (see Figs. 245) formed in the warp threads. The weft l5 is led from the package 55 throughguides 55, 55 and to a guide 40 from which the thread is caused to extend diagonally downwards across the path or the spool 4I of an approaching shuttle I5 (see Fig. 2) for engagement thereby in a manner to be explained later.

Extending across the gap A is a toothed rack 42 formed along the edge of a segmental plate 43 which is supported by a bracket 45 outstanding from an adjacent pillar 23 of the loom frame. As the shuttles I9 proceed across the gap A on their e'around the loom, a pinion 44 outstanding from each shuttle and comprising the leader of a train of gears 45 in engagement with the spool, o is engaged by the rack 42, and because of the relative movement between the shuttle and the rack, `the train of gears is set into motion and vcauses the spool 4I to rotate rapidly in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 2-5. The pino ion 414 is so disposed that while it is accessible to the rack 42 at the rack side of the shuttle, -it lies4 clear of the warp'sheet I1 as the shuttle proceeds through the shed. f

'Ihe inner flange 41 of the rotatable spool 4I is o formed with a number of spiral slots 45, any one of which catches the weft thread 35 extending across the path of the spool from the guide 40, as shown in Fig. 2, and draws the weft thread across the ilange and on to the body oi' the spool, the 75; rotation oi which causesthe thread to be Wound thereon from thesuppiy package (see Fig. 3). Outstanding from the inner side of the spool 4I and fixed thereto is an auxiliary spool 55 (see Fig. l) on to which the loose end oi' weft originally extending diagonally downward, and indicated at g.

5I in Fig. 3, is drawn by the flange 41 and wound by rotation of the spool. The weit thread thus extends from the auxiliary spool 55 across the tlange 41 to the main spool 4I.

The spool 4I isv rotated vcontinuously until the 10 pinion 44 leaves the rack 42, suillcient weft 'thread 55 being wound on tothe spool to last until the next replenishingl operation. Thus, in a loom havingone gap only in the warps, the length of weft supplied to the shuttle will be sufilcient to extend round the loom from the commencement to the finish of the warp threads, or, with reference to Figs. 2-5, from the left-hand side of the gap A, through the warps and to the right-hand side of the gap. Each weftlength preferably is such as to leave a short end or ,tail" at each selvedge of the fabric. The rate of rotation of the spool may be varied in accordance with the length of weft it is required to wind, simply by varying the ratio of the train of gears 45. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, th'e weft thread as extends directly from the spool u to the guide 45, onl completion of weft winding. In order to depress the weft thread to a point near the fell 45 of the fabric, a cam 52 secured to the 30 top of the rack 42 at a point near the left-hand extremity thereof is positioned so as to engage a bowl projecting from a lever 54 which is pivoted at 55 to a vertical plate 54 comprising a part 4 of the shuttle. ,A depending link 55 pivotally 35 connected at A51,'to the lever 54, pivotally connects the lever to an arm 55 which is adapted to swing about a pivot 55 on the body of the shuttle. 'As the travelling shuttle brings the bowl A 53 into contact with the cam. 52, the bowl' mounts 40 the incline of the cam and in so doing swings the lever 54 about its pivot 55. The link 55 is thus lifted and the arm' 55 is caused to swing upwardly about its pivot 55, as shown in Fig. 4.

The end of the arm 55 is formed as a hook 50 45 which is carried above the level of the weft thread 35 extending between the spool 4I and the guide 40, the weft thread being brought directly beneath the hook by continued forward motion of the shuttle I5. 'I'he continued forward motion 50 of the shuttle carries the bowl 53 of the lever 54 past the high point of the cam 52, and the lever descends under the inuence of a tension spring 5I winch is secured atone end to the body of the shuttle and at the other to the pivot 51 at'the 5r, extremity of the lever 54.

The lever 54 thus assumes its normal position and in doing so [swings the arm downwardly about its pivot 55 to the position shown in Fig. 5, with the weit thread 35 engaged within the hook 60 55. In descending from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that of Fig. V5, .the arm 55 brings the weft thread 55 into a guideslot 52 cut in the rear of the shuttle body and into a spring tension device 54 disposed Yalong the length oi' the arm 55. 65 'I'he weft thread is thus guided from the spool 4I to the fell 49 of the fabric I2 by the slot 52 and the hook 55. The bowl 53 of the arm 54 is guided in a slot 55 formed in the` plate 54.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the shuttle I5 has 70 by this time left the gap A and has entered the warp shed. At this point, in the operation of the loom, a cam 55 (Figs. 6 and '7) projecting from a travelling ring 55 (to be referred to later) is brought into contact with a relatively stain dotted lines in Fig. 6). 'I'he finger 10 engagesv on its way the weft thread 35 extending from the hook 60 to the guide 48 (see Figs. 2 and 5), and depresses the weft thread to a` point below the level of the fell 49 of the fabric I2.

The cam 65 is of such length as to cause the weftthread 35 to be held by the inger 1I| in the position shown in Fig. 2 until the leading shuttle I9 has'travelled some distance into the warp shed, where the weft thread wound Aon the spools 4I and 50. is unwound, the spools being rotated in an anti-clockwise direction by the pull of the weft thread. The warp sheets I1, I8 behind. the shuttle I9 now change over to form another shed `for the succeeding shuttle, and in doing so lock the newly laid weft thread securely in the fabric. The length of weft being laid in the fabric is maintained under tension during unwinding by the resistance to rotation of the train of gears 45, and the spring tension device 62. 'Ihis latter device is particularly of use when the last few-inches of weft have left the spool and are proceeding to the fell of the fabric.

In the meantime the continued movement of the shuttles has brought the next succeeding shuttle into weft-engaging position, as shown in Fig-2, where the length of weft thread 35 extending from the nger 10 to the guide 40 across the path of the next spool 4I is engaged by the slots 48 of the ange 41, as explained '.with reference to the leading shuttle I9.

Substantially simultaneously with the engagement of the weft thread 35 by the` spool 4| the moving cam. 65 strikes the operating head 13 of a toothed weft cutter 14 situated adjacent the nger 18 and into the teeth of which the weft thread has been depressed by the movement of the finger. The weft thread is thus severed and the loose end (see `Fig. 3), is wound on the spool 50 in the manner described-above. On passage of the cam 65 past the plunger 61 a compression spring 15, which encircles an extension of the plunger, forces the plunger outwardly again with the result that the finger is returned to its normal position in readiness for further actuation. Since the fabric woven is not completely tubular, temples 16 are provided and support the selvedges of the fabric I2 adjacent the nger 1Il and the weft cutter 14.

As-will be understood, the operation described above is continuous, the actuation of each shuttle being similar to that of the one immediately preceding it. Thelarge weft package 36 (conveniently a cone) enables the loom to run continuously for considerable periods at once, stop- Y page being effected only for weft replenishment or adjustment.

'Ihe shuttles I9 are supported in their vertical position by a ring 18 which also supports the weft package 36.A The edge 19 of the ring 18 is inclined and provides a race-way for a roller 80 which is freely rotatable about an axle fixed within the shuttle body. Vane wheels 8|, 8| fixed to a rotatable shaft 82, which is driven indirectly from the rotatable ring 65, engage flanged rollers 83 within the body of each shuttie, and while allowing of free passage of the warp sheet I1, propel the shuttle along its path around the loom. The opposing warp sheet I8 passes between the edge 19 of the ring 18 and the roller 80 within the shuttle body. For details of the propulsion. of the shuttles reference may be had to U. S. application S. No. 706,322 nled 12th January, 1934.

While the invention has been described with reference to a loom in which the shuttles rotate, it is to be understood that similar mechanism may beemployed where the shuttles'are stationary while the warps rotate, or where both shuttles and warps rotate, e. g. in opposite directions. x

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In a circular loom adapted for the insertion of weft round part only of the periphery of the loom, a shuttle, means for imparting relative circular motion betweenV said shuttlefand the warps with respect to the loom axis, a weft spool in said shuttle, weft-replenishing means disposed at a point of the' periphery of the loom not occupied by the warps, and means to operate said weft-replenishing means on exhaustion of the length of weft carried by the shuttle so as'to present to said shuttle a further lengthy of weft sufficient for the part of the periphery of the loom that is occupied by the warps, without interrupting said relative circular motion between the shuttle and the warps.

2.. In a circular loom, a shuttle between which and the warps there is relative circular-motion with respect to the loom axis, a rotatable weft spool disposed in said shuttle and adapted to contain a length of weft, means for presenting weft to said spool on exhaustion thereof,and

means for rotating said spool to wind thereon a on weft presented to the .shuttle at each such-- encounter without interrupting said relative cir'- cular motion between the shuttle and the warps.

4. In a circular loom, a shuttle, a rotatable weft spool in said shuttle, a pinion `in driving connection with said spool, a segmental rack between which and said shuttle there is relativeimotion, said rack being so disposed as to come into engagement with said pinion by, reason of such relative motion, and thereby to rotate said spool, and means for presenting weft to said spool during engagement of the pinion with the rack, so

that a weft length is wound on said spool.

5. In a circular loom, a shuttle, a rotatable weft spool in said shuttle, a pinion in driving connection with said spool', a segmental rack between which and said shuttle there is.-relative motion, said rack being so disposed as to come into engagement with said pinionby reason of such relative motion, and thereby to rotate said spool, a weft supply, means for presentingweft from said supply to said spool, means on said spool adapted to engage weft presented thereto so that on rotation of said spool by said rack a .length of weft is wound on said spool, a guide on said shuttle adapted to engage the weft extending 'flanged weft-spool disposed in said shuttle and adapted to contain a length of weft, means for presenting a freshlengthof weft to said spool on exhaustion thereof, means for rotating said spool, and at least one slot in a flange of said spool adapted to engage said weft length and to enable a weft length to be wound on tothe spool by the rotation thereof.

7. In a circular loom, a plurality of shuttles between which'and the warps there is relative circular motion with respect to the loom axis, a weft spool disposed in each shuttle and adapted to contain a length of weft, a weft-supply, means for.presenting the end of weft from said supply to each spool in turn on 1 exhaustion thereof, means for rotating each spool upon weft presentation to wind thereon a fresh length Yof weft without intemipting said relative circular motion between the shuttles and the warps,and a weftsevering device adapted to sever from the supply the length of weft so wound.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising means to actuate the weft-severing device as the weft is engaged` by the spool of the succeeding shuttle.

9. In a circular loom, a shuttle, a rotatable weft spool in said shuttle, a weft supply,` means to present weft from said supply to said spool on exhaustion thereof, means to rotate said spool so as to wind weft thereon from said supply, guide means on said shuttle adapted to engage the length of weft extending from said spool to said supply after the commencement of the winding operation, means to depress said guide means so as to deflect the weft from said spool to a point near the f ell of the fabric, a weft-severing device disposed near the path of said deilected weft, and a finger adapted to depress said deflected weft into engagement with the weft-severing device.

l0. In a circular loom, a shuttle, a rotatable weft spool in said shuttle, a pinion. a train of gears connecting said pinion to said spool, a segmental rack between which and said shuttle there is relative motion, said rack being so disposed as to come into engagement with said pinion by reason of such relative motion and thereby to rotate said spool through said train of gears, and means for presenting weft to said spool during engagement of the pinion with the rack so that a weft length is wound on said spool.

ll. Inga circular loom, a plurality of shuttles, means to rotate said shuttles progressively about the axis of the loom, a rotatable weft spool disposed in each shuttle and adapted to contain a length of weft, a weft-supply, means for presenting Ythe end of weft from said supply to each spool in turn on exhaustion thereof, means for rotating each spool upon weft presentation to wind thereon a fresh length of weft without interrupting the progressive rotation of the shuttles about the axis of the loom, and a weft-severing device adapted to sever the weft extending between the supply and each spool after replenishment.

12. In a circular loom, a plurality of shuttles y adapted to rotate about the axis of the loom, a weft supply, a rotatable weft spool in each shuttle, a pinion in driving connection with' each spool. a segmentalrack between which and said shuttles there is relative motion, said rack being so dis- 5 posed as to engage saidpinions in turn when said shuttles pass along the rack and thereby to rotate said spools, atleast one slot in a ilange of each spool adapted to engage weit extending from said supply and to enable a weft length to be wound l0 on to the spool by the rotation thereof, guide means on each shuttle adapted to engage the length of weft extending from said spool to said supply after the commencement of the winding operation, means to depress said guide means so l5 as to denect the weft downwardly to s point neuthe fell of the fabric-across the path of the succeeding shuttle, a weft severing device disposed near the path of said deflected weft,l a finger adapted to depress said deflected weft into the 20 severing' device, and means for operating said severing device to sever the vweft as the downwardly extending portion thereof is engaged by the spool of the 'succeeding shuttle.

13. Apparatus according to claim l2, compris- 25 ing an auxiliary spool' secured to and rotatable with the main spool to receive the length of weft extending between the main spool and the severing device.

14. Apparatus according toclaim 5, wherein the l0 means on the shuttle for guiding weft to a point`- near the fell of the fabric is provided with a tensioning device, said tensioning device being adapted to apply tension to the weft unwinding from the shuttle during the weaving operation.

l5. In a circular loom. a shuttle, a rotatable weft spool in said shuttle, a pinion, a train of gears connecting said pinion to said spool, a segmental rack between which and said shuttle there is relative motion, said rack being so disposed as 40 to come into engagement with said pinion by reason of such relative motion, and thereby to rotate said spool through said train of gears, means for presenting weit to said spool during engagement by the pinion with the rack, so that a weft length is wound on said spool, and a weftsevering device adapted to sever weft from the` supply after winding, said pinion disengaging from said rack on completion of said winding, and freeing said train ofgears to act as a thread tensioning device on unwinding of the spool during the subsequent weavingl operation.

16. In a circular loom, a shuttle, means to rotate said shuttle progressively about the axis of the loom, a rotatable weft spool in said shuttle, a 56 pinion in driving engagement with said spool, a segmental rack disposed adjacent the path of said shuttle in such a position as to come into engagement with said pinion as the shuttle proceeds round the loom, and thereby to rotate said spool, 60'

a wei't supply, means for presenting weft 'from said supply to said spool during engagement of the pinion with the rack so that a'weft length is wound on said spool, and means for severing the" weft length from the supply. as

HENRY DREYFUS. WILLIAM POOL. 

